No Limits on Child Sexual Abuse

“Memories fade.” That is what the Hartford Archdiocese has said in its opposition to extending the statute of limitations in civil cases involving child sexual abuse.

It is a sure bet that the victims’ memories have not faded. Not one bit.

Child molestation victims who look for evidence that would help them bring a civil suit against their attacker currently have a time limit to do so. If they find the smoking gun on their forty-ninth birthday, they are a year too late, and the one who abused them is off the hook.

That is one of the big problems when dealing with child molesters, especially the priests that are so often in the news. They are secretive, quiet, careful, and in many cases, someone the child trusts, making it all the more difficult for the victim to come forward. And in the cases of the priests, the accused have the machinery of the Catholic Church working hard to help them keep things quiet.

The Church argues that extending the statute of limitations will bankrupt them. If they think that older civil cases will force the closure of churches and the loss of assets, they must think they are going to lose a lot of cases brought against them. Why would they think that?

As in the case of murder, there should be no statute limiting civil action in child sexual abuse cases. The damage is permanent, and so should the justice be.